Bowling alley backstop



July 18, 1961 A. TRUCHE BOWLING ALLEY BACKSTOP Filed Jan. 24, 1958 INVENTOR. LOUIS A. TRUCHE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,992,826 Patented July 18, 1961 2,992,826 BOWLING ALLEY BACKSTOP Louis A. Truche, 18 Larchmont Road, Salem, Mass. Filed Jan. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 710,983 4 Claims. (Cl. 27-3 53) This invention relates in general to bowling alleys and in particular, to a backstop or bumper for limiting the travel of pins and balls.

A plate on which pins are set up is usually provided at one end of a bowling alley. The plate is simply a continuation of the alley itself and is usually marked with spots on which pins are set to form a symmetrical array. Beyond the pin plate, the alley proper terminates in a pit into which the balls and pins fall as they leave the alley. Before the general adoption of automatic pin-setting machinery, it was the practice to hang a curtain of canvas or some such similar material at the back end of the pit remote from the pin plate. In some instances, a cushioned back was provided at the back end of the pit to prevent pins and balls from ricocheting back onto the alley and knocking down additional pins which, of course, interferes with accurate scoring. Pins knocked down were reset and bowling balls returned to the bowler manually after each frame, and adequate space was available for the pinsetter to retreat to some relatively unexposed position during the actual bowling of balls.

Now, however, with the widespread use of automatic pin-setting machinery, space at the far end of the bowling alleys is at a premium. The machinery is of necessity large because of the area over which it must operate to function usefully. Furthermore, the machinery which is complex and expensive requires protection from pins and balls which might be driven into it. The machine obviously cannot be removed from its exposed position in the same manner as its human predecessor.

Numerous devices have been suggested to prevent the balls and pins from reaching and damaging the machinery. Amongst these devices have been padded sheets of plywood suspended to hang in the alley pit, quilted or cushioned curtain members, and various spring-mounted baflles. These prior art devices suffered in the main from one of two faults. Either they were too stiff in their operation and permitted balls and pins to bounce back and damage the end of the alley, or knock down additional pins, or they were too pliable and failed to slow the balls and pins sufiiciently to prevent damage to the machinery. Still another objection to devices presently in use is the fact that the balls and pins striking the backstop are often travelling at high speeds and cause rapid deterioration of the stop. This results in either damage to the machinery or excessive shutdown time in replacing or repairing the backstop.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to gfiovide a long-lasting and effective backstop for bowling eys.

It is another object of the present invention to protect automatic pin-setting machinery from damage.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a backstop which absorbs and distributes the force of impinging balls and pins in such a manner that the balls and pins fall directly into the bowling alley pit.

It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the shutdown time for repair or'replacement of backstops in bowling alleys.

It is a still further object of the present invention to prevent the zicocheting of pins and balls back onto or against a bowling alley.

In general, the present invention is organized about a force-absorbing and distributing structure for bowling alley backstops. It consists in a backstop or baflle which includes a relatively flexible sheet about which pouches or containers are formed adjacent the primary and most frequent areas of contact by balls and pins. In the pouches or pockets formed about the sheet or curtain, a quantity of force-absorbing material such as pellets of shot or the like is carried. A bowling ball thrown down the alley strikes the backstop in the area of the pouch or pocket and partially buries itself in the flexible material forming the pocket and the force-absorbing material in the pocket conforms to the contour of the ball or pin. The force of the ball or pin striking the sheet is distributed by the movement of the stop as a Whole, by the pocketing of the ball or pin in the flexible material and, most important, by the movement of the shot caused by the conforming of the shot to the contour of the impinging object. Besides the major pouch, the backstop also includes secondary pouches or bags which hang in line with the gutters of the alley and which are partially filled with force-absorbing material to provide a point of greatest thickness at about the center line of the bowling ball used. In addition, an apron of pliable material is provided at the front surface of the backstop to prevent wear and damage to the pouch-forming device which may be stitching, riveting, cement or other suitable attaching or bonding material.

The backstop is provided with adjustable hangers to adapt it to alleys of various designs. In some instances, a member is provided at the lower edge of the backstop to serve as a guide to direct balls to the ball lift in those automatic pin setting machines which require such a guide.

The major pouch of force-absorbing material preferably extends across the surface of the alley in a slight catenary with the lowest point of the curve coinciding with the center of the alley. The purpose of this curvature is to maintain an even distribution of the forceabsorbing material within the pouch inasmuch as most balls will strike adjacent the center of the pouch tending to move the shot outwardly. The curvature, of course, aids in redistributing the shot evenly throughout the pouch after the impact of a ball. In some instances, the major pouch may be compartmentalized to prevent uneven distribution of the force-absorbing material. F or a better understanding of the invention together with other and further objects, features and advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invent-ion as embodied in a bowling alley backstop showing the various component parts and the support structure,

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line 22, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view partly in section along the line 3 3, showing the backstop as utilized in a typical bowling alley.

In the views of the backstop constituting FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a frame 12 made of wood, steel or other suitable material from which the backstop is-suspended. This frame member customarily extends across thewidth of the alley at a point above the pit. A number of adjustable hangers of which the hanger 13 is typical are attached to the frame. These hangers may be simply bolts passing through the frame and held in position by nuts threaded onto the bolts and brought up against the top surface of the frame. The heads of the hanger bolts support a clamping member such as an angle iron 14 which also extends substantially across the width of the alley. The major element 15 of the back stop is clamped between a vertical surface of the clamp and a flat strip 16, which may be of steel or other suitable material, by means of a series of bolts 17.

The major curtain backstop member 15 depends from the clamping members to a point slightly above the floor of the bowling alley pit. The curtain 15 is preferably made of leather but may be made of numerous other materials such as fiber, plastic, rubber, fabric, or combinations of these or other strong flexible materials. V

A secondsheet of material '19 is attached to the rear side of the curtain 15 and folded back upon itself to form a bag or pouch 20,. The pouch 2 1$ attached to thec'urtain 15 by stitching, riveting, cementing, stapling, or other suitable means and similar means are used to form the pouch proper where it is attached to itself. The pouch is so disposed that its line of greatest volume is approxi mately in the trajectory of, or at the projection of the center line of balls on the alley. Within the pouch is a quantity of force-absorbing and distributing material 21.

It has been found that shot up to about 43 in diameter serves best for this purpose of absorbing and distributing energy from the balls which strike the backstop, but other material may also be used, such as balls of various sizes or metals. Other materials of shapes other than spherical may also be used; for example, the material might be granular or of diverse shapes. However, the best results have been obtained with spherical members made of steel.

The pouch 20 extends across the full width of the alley in the same manner as the major backstop curtain 15. Also extending across the full width of the alley and disposed at the front of the curtain member 15, there is an apron v22 which protects the stitching, riveting or other tfastenings of the sheet 19 to the curtain 15 from abuse through chafing rand impingement of pins and balls. Although this member itself may also be made of leather or other flexible material and attached to the curtain 15 in the same manner as the sheet 19, it is attached to the curtain 15 at a point above the normal contact area where is less exposed to damage than the pouch attachment.

In addition to the curtain 15, there are also clamped to the hanger at its ends a pair of relatively wide straps of flexible material of which the strap 24 is typical. These straps hold support pouches such as 25 in the same manher as the major pouch 20. However, they are placed at the extremities of the hanger and hang into the pit in line with the ends of the gutters. Other suspension means for the gutter or secondary pouches of which pouch 25 is typical may be used. The straps themselvesmay be formed into pouches at their lower ends or, if desired, a light chain or other type hanger is feasible.

The gutter or secondary pouches are also partially filled with force-absorbing material as at 27 and of the same general nature as the material 21. Too, the means of attachment whereby the pouches are formedor suspended may be the same as, or different from that used to form the punch 20. p The gutter pouches are also designed to present their point of greatest volume at about the trajectory or projected center line of balls in the alley gutters. I

best shown in FIG. 3, in order to maintain the curtain 15 and its attached pouch 20 stretched across the al ey, a stilfening member 28, 'which maybe constituted by a steep strip or other suitable relatively rigid member, is provided. The member 28 'is held horizontally in the curtain 15 bymean s of pockets andill stitched, riveted, or otherwise fastened to the back of the curtain 15. Othe m an otulde co r e u e si rp r he member 28 in a position suitable to giye the desired spreading or stretching action.

In certain types of automatic pinsetting machinery, a rotary table is used in the pit to clear the pit of pins and balls. To remove balls from the table and guide them toward the lift, a stiff member 31 may be attached by any suitable means, for example, riveting or stitching or both to the bottom of the curtain 15. The member 31 should extend a sufficient distance across the pit to clear balls off the'table as it rotates, and should reach a point somewhat less than the height of a ball from the pit floor.

In FIG. 3, an alley of conventional design having a pin plate 32 marked to receive pins is shown. Gutters 3B and 34 which run the length of the alley are also illus trated. Reverting to FIG. 2, it may be'seenquite plainly that the height of the pin plate 32 and the gutters 33 and 34 determines the adjustment of the backstop. The hangers 13 and the secondary pouches are so'adjusted that the trajectory of a hard thrown ball, whether on the alley or in the gutters will carry it into contact with the appropriate pouch. Balls thrown sufiicently slowly as not to encounter the central area of the pouch would lack destructive force in any case and need not be impeded' by the force-absorbers of the backstop. v

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been described, other and similar forms within the scope of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled the art. The invention'should not, therefore, be limited to only the embodiment shown, but to the full' range of claimed structures. f

' What is claimed is:

l. A backstop for pins and balls in a bowling alley having a p Plat ri at h d o a d a e an ters at the sidesof said alley comprising, a frame extend ing across said alley, a' plurality of adjustable hangers attached to said frame, a curtain of flexible material clamped to said hangers, a main pouch formed'of flexible material and attached to said curtain, said main pouch depending into said pit at a height such'that its line of greatest volume is substantially in the trajectory of and at the center 'line of balls coming' fr'om said alley, an apron of flexible material attached to; said cHIi i for shielding the "points of attachment of said pouch to said curtain fromimpinging pins and balls, a pair of strips formed or flexible material clamped to said hangers one at each end thereof, a pair of secondary pouches attached to said strips at their lower endsand'extending into said pitin line with the ends of saidlgut ter s, the point of maximum volume of said secondary pouches being disposed substantially in the trajectory of and at the center line of balls coming from said gutters, and a quantity of pellets of force-absorbing material at 'least'pa'rtially filling said pouches; Y V I 2 Apparatuses in claim 1 wherein said pellets of force-absorbing material are steel shot. i 3. pparatus as in Iclairn' l whe ,terial is leather. s t

aapams as in claim 1 wherein said main, pouch slightly curved along its length haying'its est'point ea as a r art al lt esaes ee s as l e -rat r UNITED STATES BATENIS Sherman" Nov; 22,1955 

